This weekend saw the daddy of them all – the mighty London Marathon, with a dozen Lions among the 42,000 runners lining up alongside some of the top names in international marathon running. It was a great weekend for the club, with Simon Rawnsley, Gerry Banham and Judith Greenwood all setting new club records in their respective age categories and the amazing Rushworth family clocking up a club first – all four members of the family have now run a marathon! But before all that, this...

Bunny Run Relays and Series Results

It was another fine evening on Penistone Hill for the final event in this year’s Bunny Run series. It dropped a little cool as the sun went down, with 69 teams lining up to compete in the Bunny Relays. The Lions fielded three teams - the “A Team” of Jim Harris, Andrew Laird Boldy and James Penson, the “A Star Team” of Leon Severn, Richard Crombie and Dan Marsden and “The Lonesome Bun” – the unstoppable Aileen Baldwin running all three legs of the relays on her own! Never mind Lonesome Bunny, she’s more like the Duracell Bunny. After the race, the series results were announced, and there were no fewer than three trips to the winners’ enclosure for Aileen – 3rd in the relay race solo category, 10th woman overall for the series and F60 series outright winner. Aileen lost count of her prizes in the end, but her total Easter egg haul for the series was somewhere north of fifteen. James Penson was 3rd M40 for the series. Jim Harris said afterwards: “It was a proper Stainland Lions team effort; Aileen won all the Easter eggs and the rest of us helped her eat them.” The evening ended with a chocolate throw out at the pub. Not quite sure what this is but clearly it can’t be a bad thing!

Roger Colson 5K, Cowm Reservoir

This week’s race, a counter in the Lions main club championship, saw the runners battling headwinds as an evening squall blew in across the reservoir. Despite this, both Colin Duffield and Richard Brewster managed to improve on their times set at last week’s race over the same course. Simon Rawnsley was first Lion, in his final sharpener before the London Marathon. David Farrar was 1st M55, Heather Moffat 1st F45 and Jan King 1st M65. Sue Cash was 1st (and on closer inspection only) F50.

Madrid 10K and Half Marathon

Five Lions headed to Spain for the Madrid 10K and Half Marathon. Dick Spendlove took on the Madrid 10K which started at 8am while it was still nice and cool. He ran fantastically well to finish 2nd M70. The remaining four Lions tackled the half marathon, one of the top races of its kind in Europe, with great crowds and, according to the organisers, “a running experience full of tradition, modernity and dynamic environment”. Darren Reece was first Lion, and not even the fierce Spanish sun could tempt him to run without his trademark base layer.

The Three Peaks Fell Race

Familiar to most people as a walking challenge, the Three Peaks is also one of the oldest and most famous fell races in Britain. Imagine running a marathon not through city streets but over Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Leon Severn was first Lion, battling severe weather and finishing in just over 4½ hours. David Culpan did well to finish at all, after suffering a fall early on and struggling to get back going again. The runners were pleased to receive support on the course from their fellow Lions Ben Carter who was on hand as part of the race sweeping team and Aileen Baldwin.

Abraham’s Tea Room Round

By now you may be asking, that’s all very well but what has James Penson been up to? Never one to let a weekend go by without a huge race of some sort, James completed the 30-mile Abraham’s Tea Room Round on Saturday. This is a fell running challenge to run over of all the summits that can be seen from the Abraham’s Tea Room café window in George Fisher in Keswick. James completed the anticlockwise version of the challenge in unpleasant weather in 10 hours 45 minutes.

Blackpool Half Marathon

Two Lions competed in the Blackpool Half Marathon on Sunday. Billed as ideal for PB chasers and “people who didn't get into the London Marathon”, the race is run over a flat one lap route which includes Blackpool Promenade and all the top landmarks and tourist spots.

Results: Gina Anderson-Keeble 1:59:50, Ally Audsley 2:00:33

London Marathon

It was a record-breaking London Marathon this year, the busiest ever, with over 42,000 runners (exceeding even the attendance record of Huddersfield parkrun). The logistics are mind-boggling. There were over 1,000 marshalls needed at the start line alone! The Lions had twelve fabulous runners in the race, and between them they clocked up some outstanding achievements

· Stephen Hall took 12 minutes off his 2018 time to finish first Lion in a new personal best time of 2:44:18

· Simon Rawnsley took an improbable 23 minutes off his 2018 time to set a new M50 club record by just two seconds

· Gerry Banham, who can’t set foot outside his front door at the moment without breaking a club record, set a new M60 record and recorded a new personal best time by over 3 minutes. Fantastic work by Gerry, to be running his best times in his sixties! He must have sold his soul to the devil.

· The amazing Judith Greenwood set a new F70 club record. Judith was running her sixth marathon alongside the equally amazing Lesley Henderson, and both women could be spotted a mile off on the television coverage with their bright pink hair as they kept pace with decades-younger runners

· Emma Forester Thompson and Wendy Paulson both ran personal bests

· Andrew Falkingbridge carried club mascot Leo the Lion the whole way round the route

· Will Rushworth ran his debut marathon and in the process completed the family set of marathons. Dad David was first off the mark, running London in 2015, Will’s brother Cameron was off next, completing his at York in 2016, and Mum Ginny ran London last year. Will’s time of 3:43:19 is just one second faster than Cameron’s York time. Could this be the fittest family in Calderdale?

The club is enormously proud of each and every one of its marathon runners and very grateful to coaches Mark Pigford, Tanya Blake and Graham Robertshaw for all their help in preparing the runners for their big day.

After the excitement of the club’s annual dinner and prize giving on Friday night, it was back to business at the weekend for a busy two days of racing. Highlights this week were 1st Lady for Mags Beever at Carsington Water Half Marathon, 3rd place for Ed Hyland at Midgley Moor fell race and VIP treatment for the whole club at the fabulously welcoming Lostock 6 road race.

Carsington Water Half Marathon

The unstoppable Mags Beever was 1st Lady - and 10th overall - at Saturday’s Carsington Water Half Marathon. Held in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the race took place around the undulating, traffic-free trails surrounding Carsington Water reservoir. The route afforded stunning views of the lake and the surrounding Peak District countryside - not that Mags would have been looking at the scenery as she smashed round the course at 6½ minute mile pace.

Result: Mags Beever 1:26:33

“The Knights of 7 Lakes” Torch 10K

Not a character from Monty Python & The Holy Grail but a brand new off-road race in Lincolnshire. The inaugural race was held on Saturday night, and Rebecca O’Neill was the sole torchbearer for the Lions from a field of 300 runners. By the light of their headtorches, the runners picked their way through 10K of woods and trails. The terrain was soft underfoot and slippy in parts. Rebecca said afterwards, “Pace wasn’t important – the aim of the game was just to get round safely!”

Result: Rebecca O’Neill 56:08

Lostock 6

There was a huge turnout of Lions in Bolton on Sunday for the Lostock 6 road race, a counter in the club’s championship competition. Billed as “six miles of smiles”, the race saw over 400 runners speeding round the fast route which was all on tarmac. Host club Lostock AC delivered a fantastic friendly race and rolled out the red carpet for the Lions, awarding special prizes for 1st Male Lion (Clayton Cutter) and 1st Female Lion (Helen Armitage). The VIP treatment didn’t end there, with the club winning the prize for the largest group turn out too, with Lions comprising one tenth of the total field.

High Cup Nick Fell Race

James Penson and David Culpan headed to the village of Dufton in the North Pennines for Sunday’s inov8 sponsored High Cup Nick fell race. The race is the brainchild of previous British Fell Running champion Morgan Donnelly, who devised the route and organises the race. Dufton is a very small village, and its population quadruples on the day of the race, with most of the locals helping out in some form or another. This gives a unique atmosphere on the day. The race starts and finishes on Dufton village green, and the 9 mile route comprises a figure of 8 circuit taking runners to an amazing view point of High Cup before taking them steeply up to the ridge to return along the Pennine Way. Total climbing 1,800 feet.

James finished in around 1 hour 28 minutes and David in 1 hour 39 minutes. David would have crossed the line sooner but stopped part way through the race to help a fellow runner who had taken a bad tumble on the stony track from the top of High Cup Nick and damaged his shoulder. Once the mountain rescue team arrived, David was able to get back on his way. David said afterwards: “Apparently a girl face-planted on the same track. She was in a mess also, but nothing broken. Dangerous sport is fell running!”

Huddersfield 10K

Finally, over in Huddersfield, sixteen Lions raced the hilly Huddersfield 10K. Starting from Huddersfield Rugby Club at Lockwood, the route climbed steadily up to the village of Netherton, then crossed the beautiful Magdale valley before a long steady descent back to the rugby club. Darren Reece was first Lion home and 1st M40 in fourth place overall. Michelle.Eyre, who only joined Stainland Lions a few months ago and has been going from strength to strength ever since, knocked an impressive 16 minutes off her 2018 time! That is what happens when you become a Lion. There were age category wins for Derek Parrington and Judith Greenwood, while Jan King and Virginia Lewin came third in their respective age categories. Speaking afterwards, a delighted Judith said “I got 1st F70 and a voucher for Rundirect which I’ve spent already!” Judith’s win at Huddersfield capped off a memorable weekend for her, after she was voted Runners’ Runner of the Year at Friday’s annual dinner, in recognition of her contribution to the club and the inspiration she gives to other runners.

Many of the Lions were in Bridlington for the club’s annual weekend away where they enjoyed fabulous running along the coast in the sunshine (see photo), but there was plenty of race action nearer to home too.

Bleasdale Circle Fell Race

David Culpan ran the Bleasdale Circle Fell Race in the Trough of Bowland on Saturday. A true classic short fell race limited to 120 entries each year, the race is 5 miles long with 1,400 feet of ascent. The first mile took the runners from the community centre across fields before the ascent of Fairsnape Fell. The climb was highly technical (this is code for scrambling up on your hands and knees) near the top. The route then followed the ridge to Parlick Fell before a steep descent back to the finish. David knocked over 4 minutes off his 2015 time to finish in 52:59.

Richmond Half Marathon

780 runners took part in the Richmond Half Marathon on Sunday. The race is fast and flat and has amazing views of the Thames and Kew Gardens. The route follows the river for most of the way. Maria Harron was 3rd F40 in a fantastic time of 1:36:56. Speaking afterwards, she said it had been a “really scenic route in the sunshine”.

Liversedge Half Marathon

Stainland cleaned up at the Liversedge Half Marathon! Darren Reece and Gavin Foster led the charge, both finishing in the top ten and helping secure 1st Male Team prize.

There was a fantastic atmosphere at this weekend’s West Yorkshire Winter League cross country race, with Lions not only running well in the race but also providing a nice little reminder to us all about what it is to be a Lion as well. A “roarsome” effort to ensure everyone was cheered in. No Lion ever gets left behind.

Windy Hill Fell Race

It was touch and go on Saturday as to whether or not the Windy Hill fell race would be able to go ahead, as Storm Erik swept in bringing very high winds and heavy rain showers in its wake. Five Lions braved the howling gale to take on the 9 mile race over rolling hills above Littleborough. The route took in the Old Roman Road at Blackstone Edge, a good deal of muddy Pennine moorland and Windy Hill itself. Hollingworth Lake was visible below for much of the route. James Penson was first Lion home, and Aileen Baldwin won her age category.

West Yorkshire Winter League Cross Country Series, Race 5

The fifth race of the 2018/9 West Yorkshire Winter League cross country series took place on Sunday, and it was another great race organised by Crossgates Harriers. Proper old school, across open fields, fast and furious.

Ed Hyland was first Lion to finish in fourth place, but it was the Lionesses who took the glory, holding on to the number one spot with one more race to go. There were fantastic performances from Margaret Beever (2nd lady), Lucy Collins, Lorraine Naylor and Danielle Hirst. Cross country captain Tim Walker described the Ladies Team’s performance as “absolutely brilliant”. Andrew Mackrill also put in a notable effort, showing true grit to complete the race despite arriving late and setting off fifteen minutes after everyone else. Andrew worked hard to make his way back to the main pack of runners.

Urban Night Series

Jim Harris and Andrew Laird-Boldy ran as a team in Monday’s Team OA Urban Night series orienteering race. They finished in 57:30 and are currently the fourth placed team in the series. The event combines night running with locating checkpoints using only a very basic map, with the aim of collecting as many points as possible.

Despite freezing conditions over the weekend, a number of Lions were in action both on the roads and on the fells.

The Wadsworth Trog Fell Race

David Culpan was the sole Lion to race “The Beast”, as the annual Wadsworth Trog is affectionately known. The circular 20 mile route started in Hebden Bridge and included a challenging 3,800 feet of ascent. Conditions on the day were bitterly cold, with temperatures barely getting above freezing and a sub-zero wind chill factor. The ground on the moors above Haworth was covered in hard packed snow and ice, making heavy going for the runners. Despite this, David somehow improved on his 2018 time by over 15 minutes, crossing the line in 4:05:43.

Pateley Pie n Pint Ultra

James Penson finished in 8th place at the Pateley Pie n Pint Ultra on Saturday. James completed the 48K route in 4:55:52. A number of distance options were available for this race, and for his ultra distance, James had to run the very icy 8K course six times.

Dewsbury 10K

Fifteen Lions took part in Sunday’s Dewsbury 10K in freezing cold conditions. Starting and finishing in Dewsbury town centre, the straightforward out and back route on flat roads attracted a field of over 1,700 runners. Darren Young was first Lion home and 3rd M50 in a new personal best time, while Jan King was 3rd M65. Paul Corns improved on his 2018 time by over a minute. Catherine McHugh ran well to finish in under 50 minutes, Helen Shenton posted sub 60 minutes for the first time, and a number of the other Lions were pleased to record pbs.

A quiet weekend, but Margaret Beever ran well to finish 2nd Lady in the Meltham Tough 10K.

Tigger Tor Fell Race

James Penson was the only Lion at Sunday's Tigger Tor Fell Race in the Peak District. James completed the route (which starts at the Tigers Rugby Club near Sheffield and climbs up to Higgar Tor) in 1 hour 35 minutes. He declared that he'd never fallen over so many times in one race before.

Meltham Tough 10K

The organisers could equally have called this one Meltham Cold 10K. A dozen Lions layered up and shivered their way round the hilly route south of Huddersfield. Darren Reece was 1st M40 and quickest Lion on the day. Mags Beever won her age category and finished 2nd Lady. Aileen Baldwin was 2nd F65.

A huge number of Lions completed the Hebden Race this week, with Mags Beever finishing 1st Lady (and second overall) in the 15 mile version of the race.

The Hebden 22/Hebden 15

The Lions were out in droves for this popular and hilly event, which caters for both walkers and runners. The demanding 22 mile route has over 4,000 feet of climbing, while the 15 mile route is optimistically described as “less demanding, with a leisurely return along the canal to Mytholmroyd”, giving no hint as to the actual difficulty of navigating across 15 miles of unmarked trackless moorland in the freezing cold in January. Epic winter conditions are guaranteed every year, and Friday night’s snowfall arrived right on cue, covering much of the route. Mags Beever finished 1st Lady (and second overall) in the 15 mile, a handful of Lions stepped up this year from the 15 mile to the 22 for the first time, and a delighted Paula Pickersgill took twenty minutes off her previous time at the 15. All the reviews of this race talk about the home baking that greets the finishers - with the dripping sandwiches, Tiffin and apple crumble all getting the thumbs up from reviewers.

Inskip Half Marathon

Richard Brown, Gavin Dodd and Clayton Cutter ran the flat and fast Inskip Half Marathon near Preston on Saturday. All three Lions took full advantage of the fast course to finish in under 90 minutes. Like buses, they all arrived at once, crossing the line within 30 seconds of each other. Gavin took 3½ minutes off his previous best half marathon time and looks in good shape for his full marathon in Manchester later this year. Both Richard and Clayton also posted personal bests, with Clayton saying afterwards: “Over three years now of being a Stainland Lion, aiming for under 1 hour 30, coming close on a few and today it got done, 1.29.38 and into the sub 1.30 club.”

West Yorkshire Winter League Cross Country Race Four, South Leeds Lakers

Sunday’s race at South Leeds Lakers featured a very runnable course that was less technical than the previous races in the League. The Lions’ men’s team struggled after losing the bookies’ favourite Matthew Pierson to a pulled hamstring early on, but the ladies’ team were out in force and once again smashed it to come in first place ahead of Baildon, nicely extending their lead at the top of the table.

This week’s highlights are Mags Beever winning both the Greenhead Park 5K race series and the Saltaire Vets race, and James Penson completing the Lakeland 100.

Greenhead Park 5K Series

Mags Beever ran consistently well throughout July to finish 1st Lady overall in the Greenhead Park 5K series. Mags ran in three of the four races, finishing in under 20 minutes on each occasion with a best time of 19:43. Other Lions who took part in the series are Lorraine Naylor (Race 2, 22:30, 2nd W45), Jonny Cartwright (Race 3, 20:21) and Gaby Ferris (Race 4, 23:16, 1st F45).

Lakeland 50

Aileen Baldwin took on the Lakeland 50 this weekend, one the greatest ultra running challenges in Europe. It's almost double the distance of a marathon at 50 miles long, on rough terrain and with 10,000 feet of ascent to deal with. Aileen ran with her usual commitment to finish in 15 hours 11 minutes.

Lakeland 100

Meanwhile, James Penson, in another of his trademark challenges, took on the Lakeland 100. This is the Lakeland 50 with a bonus extra 55 miles. There’s a massive 23,000 feet of ascent – including the summit of every hill you’ve never heard of in the Lake District. James completed this epic feat in 38 hours 33 minutes.

Saltaire Vets Race

The Yorkshire Veterans’ Athletics Association Grand Prix continues, with the Lions still topping five of the six team categories. At last week’s race which took place at Saltaire, Mags Beever finished 1st Lady, and there were a number of age category wins for the Lions.

Lots of races to catch up on this week, including the epic Thunder Run relays.

The Thunder Run Relays

Two teams of Lions took on the epic Conti Thunder Run Relays this weekend. 24 hours of continuous 10K laps resulted in some great performances and some ridiculously tired people. Nobody got more than two hours sleep at any point.

The Lions’ A Team (Richard Crombie, Dan McGregor, Roy Lunt, Joanne Hirst, John Hirst, Tim Walker, Tony Mott) completed 24 laps between them with an average time of 1:00:44 per lap, and Team Crazy Lions (Karen Thorne, Sally McGregor, Catherine O’Shaughnessy, Jenny Walker, Simon Gadd, Tracy Mott) completed 21 laps between them with an average time of 1:11:21 per lap.

Whilst this is a running event, it doesn’t happen without great support in the shape of resident chef Byron Thorne who selflessly gave up his time and sleep to furnish the teams with bacon butties and cups of tea on demand.

Brighouse 10K

There were some fast times recorded at Sunday’s Brighouse 10K, which is known for its pb potential. Chris Hall, Gavin Foster and Derek Parrington won the men’s team prize, and there were category wins for Stefanie Hopkins (1st F40) and Derek Parrington (1st M50).

Summer Handicap Race

The Lions’ annual Summer Handicap race took place this week. 57 enthusiastic Lions took part, including some new members who had no idea what they were letting themselves in for, having only just finished the beginners’ course. There were many more Lions out marshaling the course and helping with the organisation on the day too. The runners inspected a map of the route and then predicted their finish time (no watches allowed during the race!), before heading off into the woods. The 5 mile route was entirely off-road, with 800 feet of ascent, a river crossing (because who doesn’t love a river crossing) and some tricky, technical descents. The winner was Will Rushworth, whose time of 42:25 differed from his pre-race estimate of 42:37 by just 12 seconds.

Round Res Challenge

Two Lions took on the Round Res Challenge on Saturday, doing multiple laps of Scammonden Reservoir. Various distance options were available on the day, and new Lion Dick Dunn chose the half marathon distance for his Lions debut, whilst Julie Field opted for the 10K distance, finishing in 2nd place.

The Arthur James Shaker Race

Formerly known as the "Saltaire Shaker", this 8 mile loop follows sections of the Leeds to Liverpool canal towpath, with an undulating woodland section. Martin O’Brien was the only Lion present, clocking 63:29.

Holme Moss Fell Race

Kevin Robinson took on the Holme Moss Fell Race. This seriously tough race is 29K long with 4000 feet of ascent. There was thick cloud on the tops for much of the race although it had burned off by about 2pm making a very hot last hour or so. Speaking after the race, Kevin said, “It’s a tough race but I was at least 40 minutes faster than last year. Gotta be happy with that!” Kevin recorded an (unofficial) time of 3:51:12.

This week saw team and individual prizes for the Lions at the Helen Windsor 10K, a very impressive performance by Gavin Foster in the Leeds 10K and no let-up from the sweltering heat.

Helen Windsor 10K – fizzy drinks and crisps!

Sixty five Lions attended the popular Helen Windsor 10K last week. This race is a real favourite for many Lions, with its beautiful runnable course and friendly atmosphere. This year it had the feel of a child’s birthday party to it, with fizzy drinks at the water station and packets of crisps for the runners at the finish line. Despite being gassed up with the fizzy water, the Lions ran well in the 25 degree heat to take the men’s team prize and a number of individual prizes. There were age category wins for Derek Parrington, Tanya Blake, Aileen Baldwin and Judith Greenwood. There was fabulous support all round the course from Lions spectating on foot, on bikes and in the beer garden of the pub on the route. Some of the faster Lions even waited near the end of the course after they’d finished to “run in” with the steadier runners. New Lion John Bannister made his debut for the club on the night. It would be easy to confuse him with long-standing member John Bassinder, but luckily they run at quite different speeds, one posting 46:55 while the other finished in 46:56.

Heptonstall Festival Fell Race

It’s hard to find moorland that isn’t on fire at the moment. Happily, at Heptonstall, it was just the runners’ lungs that were burning as they tackled the Festival Fell Race in sweltering conditions on Saturday. Starting in the village, the 6 mile route plunged deep into a valley before finding its way to the top of a nearby peak. It then returned in similar fashion, meaning runners finished with an almighty uphill struggle. Total ascent 1,600 feet. The terrain was a mixture of cobbles, grassy fields, muddy slopes, rocky bridleways and open moorland, some of it pathless. The race was part of a family-friendly music festival with live bands in the ruined church and Weaver’s Square, along with beer tents, street food, and children’s entertainment.

Warslow Beer Festival Fell Race

Jonny Cartwright completed the Warslow Beer Festival Fell Race in the Peak District on Saturday in a time of 77:59. Wife Nicki can normally be persuaded onto the fells with Jonny but on this occasion was having none of it.

Leeds 10K

It’s flat, it’s fast, it’s where people go for a pb. Gavin Foster was first Lion and a very impressive 39th overall (out of a huge field of 5555 runners).

Vicursa Marinera 7K

And finally, just one Lion ran the Vicursa Marinera 7K road race in Port de Pollenca, Mallorca. A last-minute entry after a less-than-ideal race preparation of a late tapas lunch, two large glasses of Sangria and a Crema Catalan, Steve Boyer still managed to complete the course in 38 minutes. The flat course along the seafront and back streets was attended by 500 runners, with plenty of cheering onlookers, despite the 30 degree heat. Good job the race started at 9pm! Steve enjoyed trying out the podium for size and was more than pleased with his finisher’s goodies, particularly the €15 sun-lounger voucher.